services, including the new signage coming online in about four to six weeks. and now for a look at tonight's top stories. a man and a pregnant woman are expected to be okay after being shot saturday night in hampden. it happened in the premier shopping area known as the avenue. police are investigating. a registered sex offender in harford county is back in police custody. fall gerard johnson, junior of bel air was arrested after allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a woman last night. police were called to the 7- eleven on abingdon road and found a woman bruised and bleeding. johnson was taken into custody and has been charged. two firefighters in california have died trying to escape the flames. meanwhile, people living in los angeles are breathing a sigh of relief, at least for now. there isn't much wind fueling the wildfires. that means the flames are staying mostly in the canyons, and not racing down hill there are a total of eight fires now burning in california. and now the latest on

efforts to find a quick replacement for senator edward kennedy. massachusetts is moving closer to changing state law so senator kennedy's seat can be quickly filled. shortly before his death, kennedy urged a new revision. and as abc 2 news t.j. winick explains, it's a revision the governor supports. >> reporter: most democrats and republicans agree that no one can fill ted kennedy's shoes. but someone will have to fill his senate seat, which the liberal lion held for an incredible 47 years. >> i am designating tuesday, january 19, 2010 as the date of the special elections. >> reporter: under current state law, 145 to 160-day period is required before a special election is held to fill the vacancy. but that would deprive senate democrats of the 60 votes needed to overcome opposition to key legislation, namely health care reform. so a public hear willing be held a week from wednesday to

decide whether to change the succession law. >> i think having a full compliment is about the best interest of the commonwealth. >> reporter: before he died, kennedy sent a letter to deval patrick and legislative leaders urging them to allow the governor to appoint a replacement. >> from the moment he got sick, he was not worried about himself, he was worried about how do i continue to do this job and represent the people of massachusetts. >> reporter: but some republicans characterize the kennedy letter as a bit disingenuous. after all, it was kennedy who suggested the law change to a special election in 2004 when john kerry was running for president, and mitt romney, a republican, would have been able to name a replacement. >> though governor patrick said it is too soon to name interim replacements two names are teddy's widow victoria and democratic presidential mom knee michael dukakis. t.j. winick, abc 2 news, washington. it has been a cooler than normal day across the region. right now from the storm center

weather net, at fort meade, how y'all doing down there? 72 degrees. wind from the north at 8 miles an hour. again, live data only available here on abc 2. here is your forecast for the next couple of hours. temperatures hanging in the low 70s with partly cloudy skies, mild temperatures. the cool air continues. for how long? we'll have the answer coming up in a couple minutes. devastation. had the boat for 20 years, and it's just tough to see it resting on its side in the middle of the pavement. >> people in new york state are still trying to untangle their boats after a 50-wide-yard tornado with winds of 90 miles an hour ripped through that area. people at the yacht club say some of them can't be saved, and other boats will take up to a year to fix. the storm also caused a mess on land, tearing through homes and uprooting trees. tonight police in georgia are offering a $25,000 reward after a mass murder. take a listen to the 911 call.

>> i just got home and my whole family is dead. >> tell me what is going on, sir? >> i just got home. i was out last night. i got home just now. and everybody is dead. >> seven family members are found dead inside a mobile home in brunswick. an eighth person died at the hospital. tonight one person is still in critical condition. turns out 22-year-old guy heinze who made the call has been arrested on unrelated charge. still no word tonight on any suspects. an amazing story to tell. more than a week after they went missing at sea, three fishermen in texas are now back with their families. the coast guard called off the search friday after searching for more than 86,000 square miles. one day later, the crew of a private vessel found the exhausted but elated men sitting on their capsized boat in the gulf of mexico. >> like i told eddie, the guy that picked us up, he just gave

me a second chance at life. and now i'm not going to take it for granted. >> the men say they survived for more than a week living on crackers and bubble gum. they also sucked fresh water from a tank used to wash fish slime off the boat. well, disney gets into the superhero business. how much they spent to acquire marvel entertainment. plus, another work at home scam to warn you about. this one carries the popular name "google." but first, we'll head outside and get a check on the weather conditions. thurgood high school in baltimore, where it feels like 69 degrees because it is 69 degrees. wow.

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wall street begins the week on a sour note. everybody is down today. the dow was off almost 48. the nasdaq down 19. the s&p off 8. well, it is something to marvel at. the walt disney company saying is it's buying marvel entertainment, for get this,

$4,000,000,234 cash and stock. under the deal, disney acquires ownership of action heroes such as spiderman, the incredible hulk and ironman. the deal is expected to wrap up by the end of the year. fast food drive-throughs are everywhere. but now kfc says it's breaking ground on water. it's introducing what it says is the very first float- through. boaters go up alongside the kfc boat to order and get their meals. this company launched this service on lake michigan. new rules when it comes to using credit cards. when the latest rules designed to protect you good into effect, and what it could mean to your credit limit. and her name is associated with the acai berry. now after thousands have been scammed, oprah wants her name off the popular product. hi, i'm jamie costello. we continue to help you during these tough economic times by

inviting you to our website at abc2news.com to our financial survival guide. and on there today, all of the experts say it's a great time for first-time home buyers. but all the rules have changed. we're going to tell you what you need to know before taking the plunge. plus, job seekers beware. more employers are using the internet to find out more about you, and what they'll find and how you can clean it up if you don't like what they find. all that and more waiting for you right now at abc2news.com. our financial survival guide. we're updating consistently throughout the day. explain.

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it has been three months since a law was passed protecting you from credit card practices that end up costing you plenty. part of that law doesn't go into effect until february. but last week some big changes were put into place. and in this week's scam alert, abc 2 news joce sterman breaks down the changes so you don't

get ripped off. >> reporter: it's become the motto of our generation -- charge it! we whip out the plastic without a thought for so many purchases, and end up feeling the pain once the bill arrives. it's a dangerous cycle made worse by the credit card companies that can hike rates an add fees. >> they can modify the terms and conditions pretty much willy-nilly. >> reporter: but that's not the case anymore thanks to the credit card accountability, responsibility, and disclosure act of 2009, which was passed back in may. it's designed to make credit card company practices more transparent and fair. >> now their ability to really do direct damage to a consumer is really going to be limited. >> reporter: angie barnett with the better business bureau says that's because portions of the law just went into effect. as a result, your credit card company must now mail your bill at least 21 days before it's due. and they've got to give you 45

days notice before making any significant changes to things like your interest rate or certain fees. >> when getting advanced noticed so we can shop our options when we know that rate is going up. so that helps the consumer. >> reporter: but barnett says consumers need to know that if you reject the increase, your card can be canceled, and you have to pay off what you owe at the current rate, although potentially with a higher minimum payment. you may also lose any reward points you have earned on your card. you need to keep that in mind as you consider the new rules that makes spending with plastic a little more flexible. the rest of the credit card act goes into effect in february. under the new rules, companies won't be allowed to raise the rates on your existing balances unless you're 60 days late. and you'll have the option to set your account so you won't be able to charge over your credit limit. don't forget, you can check out angie's blog on our scam alert page. she explains how making changes because of these new regulations could impact your

credit score. just go to abc2news.com and click on scam alerts. you'll see her blog on the right side of the page. an online job scam is proving if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. when lori needed a new job, she looked online. she found a google ad and figured it was safe enough. there were e-mails, even fake news articles claiming google was hiring at homeworkers through a program called google money tree. there was a kit for the job that cost less than four. but what she got was a disc full of bogus material and a charge of $72 on her bank statements. >> i was just livid. i just can't explain it. it felt that just -- i was so mad. >> google is definitely not hiring people to post links or click on things or fill out forms from home. >> the federal trade commission has taken action to shut down google money tree, and 14 other alleged job-related cons. ironically, one of the ways

these scams is spread is through google's own ad placement service. well, if oprah winfrey, dr. oz or rachael ray say a product is worth buying, owe know what happens. viewers flock to the stores to buy it. why many of the endorsements are not real endorsements so, you don't waste your money. >> reporter: oprah winfrey is normally everyone's best friend. but the tv mega star has just filed lawsuits against 30 companies selling products online. the reason? they were using her name without her permission to lure in thousands of buyers. oprah winfrey has taken the offense against dozens of websites using her name and image to sell acai berry, teeth whiteners, and other products. last year i spoke with one woman who fell for such a pitch. denise is skeptical of most weight loss claims, but remembers hearing oprah talk about green tea.

and when she saw a website for a type called wu yi with testimonials from oprah and rachael ray. >> it said the tea was endorsed by oprah and rachael ray. and it was a free test. >> and then came more supplements. and more. >> i just got this two days ago. >> reporter: another bottle resulted in a credit card charge of $74. total cost so far? >> 2, $300 later, i'm in debt and sending all these things back. >> reporter: it turns out oprah and rachael ray do not endorse any band of tea. they simply had segments on shows about green tea. now oprah and her frequent guest dr. oz are suing 30 companies to sell their names, acai, colon cleanser, antiwrinkle creams, and teeth whiteners. of cour, this may not stop all the phony endorsements. if you see a product claiming

that oprah endorses it, do some research on the product. if you find a lot of complaints, it's probably a case of don't waste your money. i'm john matarese. now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate. here is chief meteorologist norm lewis and maryland's most powerful doppler radar. >> and i've got a nine-month forecast for you. just rip off the top of your dining room table, mail it in with 57 cents, and we'll get it out to you. >> norm, i can not remember a 69-degree day in late august. >> absolutely incredible. very cool temperatures for this time of the year. and late tonight, early tomorrow morning, we could hit and possibly tie, maybe even break a brand-new record. the record low for tomorrow morning is 53 degrees. that was set back in 1963. but that's not the coolest. tomorrow night into wednesday morning, we could see temperatures at some of the outlying areas in the upper 40s. >> very much fall-like. and you're going to have people looking for changing colors on the tree. >> talking about that. a lot of people want to think

-- i've already gotten a few phone calls, when is the best time to go to skyline drive to check out the leaves and things of that nature. traditionally, it's the second and third weekend in october. not august. october. second and third week in october is usually the best time, right in that week. if you can go during the week, you avoid a lot of the crowds and stuff like that. but that's usually the best time to head to skyline drive. >> i've turned the air off, got the windows open. it's absolutely gorgeous. >> my cats are loving it, sitting in the window going this is cool. we have a new visitor at the national aquarium. it's usually a fish or a dolphin or something like that. take a look at the new visitor at the national aquarium. got a naval vessel, docked right back at the national aquarium out there, looking pretty good. our congratulations to the u.s. navy. thanks for visiting baltimore. our temperature right now 72 degrees. 51% humidity. wind currently from the northwest at 5. and the pressure steady. temperature-wise across the region, right now in baltimore 72 degrees. 68 up in york.

hagerstown 72. 73 in winchester, virginia. look at the current temperature in oakland. right now 63 degrees. it's 72 on the boardwalk. and ocean city, which kind of matches the water temperature out there. so pretty nice. we'll have time to go swimming. as far as the satellite picture, over in ocean city, they had some shower activity. even had some shower activity in southern portions of anne arundel county. but that is now all cleared off, and the clouds that you see around the region right now. as we go into the overnight period, those clouds are going to disappear, have a mostly clear sky tonight. and that's going to let what little heat we got during the day today from the sun radiate back out into space. it's going to be a cool morning tomorrow morning. the kids will definitely need the jackets out at the bus stop. right now nothing showing up on maryland's most powerful radar. a nice clear scan. it looks like it's going to stay that way, probably for a good part of the week, and even into the weekend. right now a peek at the weekend, looking pretty good. but seven, eight days out is a little bit far to go. at eldersburg right now 69

degrees. 66 in westminster. 68 in frederick area. havre de grace right now 69. 67 in kingsville. chestertown at 74. it's 70 degrees in annapolis. did you just see hanover change? that's because this is live data, only available here on abc 2. up in elkton 69 degrees. here is your forecast for tonight. the few clouds that we have around right now. as we go into and through the overnight period, those clouds are going to be dissipating. a few showers will remain offshore in the outer banks of north carolina. and it looks like we're on tap for nice weather. again, on the cool side, and lower humidity. so things are going to be looking good for the next couple days. here is the forecast for the overnight period. mostly clear. we'll see an overnight low of 54 degrees. it's going to be on the chilly side. again, the record at bwi thurgood marshall is 53. i don't think we're going to hit it. many places north and west of the beltway will get cooler than that. but the official temperatures have got to be taken at bwi. the forecast for tomorrow,

another sunny day, still cool. 75 degrees for the daytime high. the extended outlook. the real cool air comes in tomorrow night into wednesday morning with a low of 50 degrees. and again, some of the northern and western suburbs could see temperatures in the upper 40s. a sunny day on wednesday with a high of 79 degrees. we'll bump it up to 80 degrees with partly cloudy skies on thursday. then friday partly cloudy with a high of 81. 83 saturday. 83 sunday. lots of sunshine on tap. then monday partly cloudy and 81 degrees. we'll be back at 6 with more on the weather. >> and for more on what is coming up on abc 2 news at 6, deadly boating accidents are on the rise in maryland. what state officials are doing to help keep you safe on the waterways. restaurant row is moving to this restaurant. i'm kelly swoope. i'll tell you which ones and why, curve tonight at 6. and now a preview of what is ahead on "world news" at 6:30. >> coming up on "world news," the latest on the california wildfires. new studies suggesting patients

are being overscreened for cancer leading to unnecessary treatment. and a high school football coach goes on trial for the death of one of his players during a practice. if you're like a lot of people,

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food fight! thousands of people who weren't afraid to get a little messy met in reno for the huge event. 50,000 pounds of red tomatoes were flying. the event is inspired by the world famous festival in spain. for a $10 donation, citizens got to pelt each other with juicy red tomatoes until they were dripping red. for $50 more participants could slow tomatoes at the mayor. all the money raised benefitted the american cancer society. oh, yeah, that looks like fun. a new requirement for students at the university of maryland, and what ocean city says it's doing to help draw big crowds this summer. those stories and more on abc 2 news at 6, which starts now. >> now abc 2 news at 6. >> an outpouring of grief tonight following the weekend crash that killed two local teenagers, one of them the son of a baltimore city police

officer who was also seriously hurt. good evening. i'm marybeth marsden. it happened saturday night on interstate 81 in pennsylvania as storms rolled through the area. tonight a candlelight vigil is being held for the victims at overlea high school. christian schaffer is there. chris? >> reporter: marybeth, literally hundreds of students from overlea have begun to show up here for that vigil. certainly not the way they wanted to start their school year. school just starting here this morning. michael jones, junior and his girlfriend shaniqua taylor killed in a car crash in pennsylvania on saturday. they both graduated from overlea in june of this past year. michael had gone on to play football at lackawanna college in scranton. he was an all county football player in his junior and senior year. the team at lackawanna had a scrimmage saturday, so his girlfriend, miss tucker got a ride up with michael jones' father to scranton to watch the game. when they came home, michael jones, junior decided to come with them to surprise his mother. so all three were